Opener Lab
ROAST vs SLATE
See which word leaves you with the easier game.
Both words are in the current screen of 182 openers, tested against 2,358 answers. Exact misses rank first; average guesses among wins break ties.
The same solver played from both openers. ROAST has the lower average in games solved within six: 3.46 guesses to 3.47 for SLATE.
Looking only at the opening row, SLATE has higher entropy (5.86 bits versus 5.65). That describes first-guess separation, not the full solve on its own.
Against 1,858 past Wordle answers, SLATE left the smaller first-guess group on 55% of dates; ROAST did so on 43%, with the rest tied.
One thing SLATE does better is damage control. Its worst feedback pattern leaves 228 possible answers, while ROAST can be left staring at 270.
| Metric | ROAST | SLATE |
|---|---|---|
| Elimination | 96.4% | 96.9% |
| Information | 5.65 bits | 5.86 bits |
| Avg remaining | 85 words | 73 words |
| Avg turns | 3.46 | 3.47 |
| Missed in six | 0 | 0 |
| Win rate | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Tier | A | S |
Head to head on past answers
We tried both openers against 1,858 past Wordle answers and counted which one left fewer possibilities after the first guess.
Across those answers, ROAST left an average of 84 candidates and SLATE an average of 72.
The most recent test was Wordle #1857 on July 20, 2026, when the answer was DIVER. ROAST came back 🟨⬛⬛⬛⬛ and kept 157 words in play. SLATE came back ⬛⬛⬛⬛🟨 and kept 169 words.
What to expect from the first guess
| Outcome | ROAST | SLATE |
|---|---|---|
| First-turn solve* | 0.04% | 0.04% |
| At least one green | 39.6% | 46.3% |
| Any green or yellow | 88.5% | 90.3% |
| Whole row gray | 11.5% | 9.7% |
| Worst case answers left | 270 | 228 |
*Treating every word in the possible-answer list as equally likely.
A fully gray row is rarer with SLATE: it happens 9.7% of the time, against 11.5% for ROAST.
Planning the second guess
After ROAST
All five letters miss 11.5% of the time, leaving 270 words in play. Of the 770 follow-ups checked here, CLINE leaves the fewest possible answers on average (5.8).
After SLATE
All five letters miss 9.7% of the time, leaving 228 words in play. Of the 728 follow-ups checked here, IRONY leaves the fewest possible answers on average (6.9).
How these two openers fit together
ROAST and SLATE share 3 letters (A, S, T). Played as a pair they cover 7 distinct letters, which still gives the second word room to do useful work.
Played back to back, ROAST then SLATE earns 7.91 bits of information in total, 2.05 bits more than the better word manages alone.
Past Wordle answers
- ROAST: Has not been a past Wordle answer in this site's history.
- SLATE: Answer to Wordle #548 on December 19, 2022. ROAST would have come back ⬛⬛🟩🟨🟨 that day, leaving 18 possible answers.
Common questions
- Which is a better starting word: ROAST or SLATE?
- In the current bounded policy screen, ROAST has the lower average in games the solver finished within six: 3.46 guesses versus 3.47 for SLATE. The same solver played from both words.
- What does entropy mean for ROAST vs SLATE?
- Entropy measures the information in the distribution of feedback outcomes. ROAST records 5.65 bits and SLATE records 5.86 bits. SLATE has the higher score, so its feedback distribution separates the possible answers more effectively on average. Entropy describes the opening row; it does not by itself predict how many guesses a game will take.
- How do ROAST and SLATE score against past Wordle answers?
- Across 1,858 past Wordle answers, ROAST left fewer possible answers than SLATE on 43% of days, SLATE did better on 55%, and the rest were ties. On average, ROAST left 84 candidates after the first guess and SLATE left 72.